Reborn: From Fire and Flame
by thentheslayer
Summary: When Ethan, a regular high school student is unknowingly dumped into Alagaesia with no way back, his life is turned upside down. Oh yeah, did I also mention that he got unceremoniously turned into a dragon without any warning whatsoever? OC x Saphira.
1. A New Beginning

**A/N: This is my first fan-fiction, please leave a review so I can hopefully improve and make more content. Shout out to my friend and beta, Screamstriker, for reading this and giving her valued opinion. This was actually based off a little competition that us two did, so go over to her profile and check out her version of the story, which is called Reborn: From the Rush of the Wind. Link is** ** _s/11522123/1/Reborn-From-the-Rush-of-the-Wind_** **Thanks for reading, and enjoy!**

Normal font is used for regular speech and dialogue.

 _Italics are used for mind thoughts and mental activity in general._

 **Bold font is used for a particularly dominant or strong presence.**

* * *

"Hey, do you mind?" I called out to the figure that had just brushed by my shoulder, pushing me aside onto a brick wall as he ran across the corridor. Feeling a zipper in my bag pull open, I quickly snapped around to see a smaller, chuckling figure look at me, beside the taller one who I encountered earlier. I, after some consideration, left the two to their own devices - after all, I was the smallest kid in the grade. Combine that with the fact that I was in high school, and I had just made myself a sitting duck for small jokes and pranks. Walking down the corridor, I saw one of my friends ahead - ironically, the tallest person in the grade.

"Andy! Hey! What class do we have sixth period, again?" Nearly straining my neck in the process, I looked up at his massive figure. He, for a reason that no-one will ever discover, was somehow the size of a nearly full grown adult, despite him only being a junior. I, on the other hand, was stuck as his personal armrest (yes, I was that small) until I grew.

"Hey, Ethan! Math. Also, your zipper is open, and I'm pretty sure you were meant to have books in your bag." He promptly answered, hinting that the two earlier idiots had also stolen my books.

They can't do a single thing in class if their life depended on it, yet, they have the best sleight-of-hand in the school, as well as the sharpest wit. If you wanted something done (or something that you didn't want done) that didn't involve academics, they were your go-to people.

I instantly knew without a doubt that they would be nigh impossible to find – it was a fact of life in this school. They were always lurking around - playing jokes and generally screwing around, and even sometimes wagging class.

"Take my bag for me to math class and tell the teacher why I'm late, will you? Please?" I asked Andy, who looked at me with a slightly questioning expression, before nodding, a smile on his face. "Don't worry, there's nothing in it now - it shouldn't be a problem for you to carry." Smiling with my usual sense of slightly dark humor, I groaned slightly, before I began to run off around the school, chasing the trouble-makers down.

"Patrick. Eric. My books." Finally seeing the two hanging around on the benches beside the canteen, I looked at them with as serious a face as I could muster. _Jerks, I thought as I saw the two lounging around._ Eric, the taller one of the two, pulled a face, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth. Laughing sarcastically, I stared at them for a while, before Patrick finally pulled out my books. Handing me my math book first, then the rest, he stopped as he saw the blue dragon illustrated on the last book.

"Here you go, Ethan. Ooh, a reading book. Eragon. Who even reads, anyways?" Patrick taunted, looking at the cover.

"Hey, hand it over. No touchy touchy." I retorted, speaking in a voice that mothers normally used with toddlers. Reaching over for the book, I grabbed it out of his hand before stuffing the other books in my bag and running. Normally I wouldn't run to Math class, even though I was late, but with those two assholes behind me, I wasn't taking any chances.

"Andy told me everything. Please sit down – I will talk to those two idiots later." The class suddenly began to buzz, and, strangely, started to applaud the teacher's use of the word 'idiot'. Mouthing the words 'Thank you' to Andy, I quickly sat down and took out my copy of Eragon, hiding it behind my pencil case, and started to read.

Now, it's not because I slack off that I read in Math class – rather the fact that my teacher's monotonous lectures rarely covered a new topic, and never in detail. Due to this, almost all of the class, save for a few stuck-up teacher's pets, got out their phones or books and entertained themselves for the period. Despite this obvious sign of rebellion, however, the teacher frankly didn't care – it was an amazing co-existence of students and teacher.

 _This should go in National Geographic..._

Continuing to daydream and read, I heard the bell go, signaling the end of class and school for the day. Packing everything up except for Eragon, which I kept in my hand, I got up and made my way towards the bus bay, where I was greeted by numerous green numbers that identified the buses.

 _775, 751, m54... Ah. 712. There it is._

Seeing a new bus pull up in the bay and open its doors, I promptly hopped on and settled down near the back, getting out my book. Continuing to read, I saw something in the corner of the page as I turned it over. A five-star, Picasso-worthy turd, hand-drawn by yours truly. _Jerks,_ I thought for the (insert random number here, I stopped counting) time, my OCD kicking in. _If it was well drawn, I wouldn't even have too much of a problem. But they HAD to draw it with non-parallel lines. They HAD to draw it on an angle. Heck, it doesn't even look like a turd!_

Continuing to mentally lament the existence of the scribble, which was unfortunately in pen, I surveyed the following pages for graffiti. By this point I wasn't bothering to reread the book, too distracted to do so. Seeing another, almost identical turd in another corner of another page, I swore. I saw even more scribbles, flipping through the rest of the book. _How much time do those two idiots even have on their hands?_

However, seeing words disappear from the next few pages, I knew at once there was something more serious at work here – more serious than feces and turds. _Who the hell did this?_ I asked myself, seeing the pages missing more words the further I went through the book. Finally, it got to a point where the only thing left on the page was the old parchment itself. Curiously flipping through even more of the book, I could see new words forming on the pages. Suddenly the pages were filled with them. I instantly recognized a few iconic words on the page – this script wasn't English, it was the ancient language from the book!

 _But how..?_ I asked myself, when, as I read the words out loud, I saw the pages fill up with a faint light. At the same time, I started to feel light-headed and dizzy. Continuing to read, the light became brighter. My vision started to fade. Finally, I passed out; my body slumped against the side of the bus window.

* * *

 _Where the hell am I?_

Noticing I wasn't in either school, the bus or at home, I got up and surveyed where I was. I was met with sleek, black walls, with decoration lining the small, enclosed room. Just a small statue here, a candle with blue flame there…

 _W_ _ait, BLUE FLAME? This isn't right…_

Looking at the object in question, it felt so real... Yet I could not help but feel that this was all a figment of my imagination.

 _This doesn't exist... This can't be true._

One quick pinch and five seconds of agony later, my doubts were all but gone. Seeing a door, which had a window, I jumped and peered out. Unfortunately, I didn't see too much – just a corridor. To my surprise, the door was unlocked – it came open with a satisfying click as it creaked open.

Running through, I decided to make a break for it – after all, whoever moved me here must have a reason to, and that person wouldn't just kill me after all their troubles. Either that or I was dreaming. Dream or no dream, I still decided to make the most of it.

Looking through the first pathway, I saw an empty room. Cautiously making my way through, I realized that there was no-one in at least the room, despite the fact that it looked like someone was recently here – yet I could not see or hear any sign of life, including me – my friends always told me I had no life. This, I whole-heartedly embraced. I was, after all, nothing more than a bookworm, with little regard for the social ladder.

Starting to jog, then run, I came to the realization that there was no-one in this massive place. _Seriously, how large IS this place? I've been running for about ten minutes now, and there's no way out, no sign of life, nothing!_ The more I ran, the more I came to the conclusion that I was probably in Alagaesia, which meant… _This had to do with the book – I remember it glowing before I fainted. And if I am in Alagaesia, I know for a fact that there's only one person in this world that either has a castle as big as this one, or can conjure up an image of one so big._ Shuddering at the thought, a wave of relief overcame me as I saw a door out, which I gratefully ran towards and went through.

 _Never knew that this place had a back door. Looks like I got lucky, I guess._ Running through a small corridor, I went out the other end to be greeted by open meadows and a forest. Behind me, a courtyard which led to what looked like the rest of the castle. I figured that, since it was night, there was nothing more I could really do – just ponder over what had happened. Resting against a particularly comfortable patch of grass, I slept, millions of questions flying through my head.

* * *

Woken up by a searing pain through my whole body, I quickly got up, crying out in pain to the rising sun above. _What the hell is…? AH!_

Seeing light blue sigils and what I thought to be words from the ancient language inscribed on my skin, I realized that whoever this must have took me here for a reason – as some sort of test, or something like that.

The pain rising and gradually getting stronger, I could feel my skin beginning to crack from all the pain. Surprisingly, I examined my forearm to see it turning a dark blue around the glowing sigils, and growing... _scales?_ Looking in disbelief as a new surge of pain flooded my whole body, I saw the dark blue continuing to spread along the whole of my body and face.

Getting on all fours, tears rained down on the grass below me as my spine and ribs painfully readjusted its shape to that of a quadruped animal. Ripping off my clothes, I looked at my bare chest, which was now fully clad in shining dark blue scales. Crying again, I felt a massive pressure push against my spine, before I felt something rip out of the end of my body – a tail.

Looking over, I saw that my new tail, which was currently moving around uncontrollably, looked to have a single spike at the end of it, with its entirety covered in the same blue scales that was now all over my body. Too weak now to even push myself off the ground, I fell as my face slammed against the ground, just as I felt my skull readjusting – new horns growing on either side of the back of my skull, my nose and mouth extending outwards and fusing together to create a new snout with sharpened teeth.

By now, everything was just a blur of pain as I felt the last of my transformation take place. My spine, once again, began to grow, this time to lengthen my neck to the proportions of a dragon. My fingers and toes, which by now had very sharpened nails, began to painfully and unceremoniously shift and fuse together to create proper claws, which looked to be as sharp as a dagger. To add to this, I felt myself growing in size from my old, miniature self into a large, horse-sized dragon.

It seemed to be over.

 _What the hell..._

Looking back using my new, elongated neck; I turned around to examine what I had become. Seeing my new claws, tail and scales, I almost fainted, both out of shock and exhaustion. Both dark and light blue covered my whole body, with any sign of my old, human body gone.

 _Am I a... surely not? Who the hell would do this to me? I get taken out of my world, get dumped in this one without so much as a greeting, and now I'm a dragon. This is obviously not a dream – it's too detailed and 'realistic', but... Shouldn't a dragon have…?_

My thoughts were quickly cut off by a sharp ripping in my back, revealing two membranous, bloody wings. Speechless, I turned around with numerous new cramps in my neck to see what was going on. After a while, I finally fainted for the second time as I saw my new body as a whole, both out of shock and exhaustion, with only one thought in my head as I was plunged into darkness once more.

 _Why?_

* * *

 **A/N: So there you have it – my first attempt at creating a decent and unique Eragon fanfiction. Please let me know how I did, and if you liked it, please leave a review with improvements and/or encouragement for me to continue this series. Thanks for reading, and see you in the next chapter!**


	2. An Unexpected Arrival

**A/N: Before I begin this chapter, I would like to once again thank Screamstriker for her unwavering support as my beta and friend. Without her, this story would have a rising sunset and too many monotonous sentences to count. Seriously, check her profile out and give her a chance. All jokes aside, not too much else to say. I will be switching in between POV, tell me whether you prefer me just putting the single horizontal line or stating the POV change in the story.**

 **Also, please tell me if I should put dragon-speech in a diferent font. Apart from that, enjoy the chapter, and please remember to favorite and review if you liked it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritance Cycle or any characters that are featured in Christopher Paolini's books, only Ethan, who is an OC that is essentially me, personality-wise.**

* * *

 _Do you think he might be Galbatorix's slave? I mean, he can't have stayed un-noticed for this long – he looks to be about as old as me, if not older._

 _I have no idea, Saphira – wait! He's waking up. Finally, some answers._

Vague thoughts brushed against my head as I got up, seeing that I was in a new environment – a clearing of sorts, with bushes and trees cleverly concealing anyone inside. _So, it wasn't a dream! This is really Alagaesia, and…_ My new dragon heart almost skipped a beat as the events of last night flooded back into my mind. I got up to see a camp nearby, with a blazing fire contrasted against the sunrise. Two horses were tied up nearby. _How the hell did that get there? I thought I was the only one…_

"Who are you?"

Spinning around clumsily, I tried to adjust to my new body as I looked at the source of the sound. An old man – wielding a blood red sword, poised straight at my breast.

 _Brom? It has to be him - I'm sure that no-one else in the book had a sword like that one... Speaking of which, where the hell am I? I'm not where I was last night – something must've moved me here, presumably the same thing that turned me into a dragon and brought me to Alagaesia…_

Realizing that I didn't have either a new name or a backstory, I blankly stood there as I tried to put my extensive knowledge of the series to use.

 _Think, you stupid brain, THINK! I know for a fact Brom mentioned a few names in the book, but…_ Unable to remember any of the names from the book, I tried to at least create a legitimate name off the top of my head.

 _Um... Leithaen._ I tried to say with as much assurance as I could. _Wait, why the hell am I talking mental... Oh. I'm a dragon. Right._ I almost projected the thought to the old man as I tried to wrap my head around what the hell was going on.

"What are you doing here?"

 _Minding my own business._

Brom raised his eyebrow as he continued to eye me down.

"How did you know where we where?"

I was essentially screwed at this point - I knew for a fact that I wouldn't be able to lie my way out of this situation. In school, I never really lied, preferring honesty. However inconvenient it was, it stopped me from getting into too big of a mess. But at this point in time, I knew for a fact that honesty was only going to get me killed, or worse.

"Hey, stop harassing him."

Hearing another person speak, I looked as fast as I could to see a young teenager, probably about sixteen. _Eragon! Thank god, I thought I was practically dead... Wait, if that's Brom, and that's Eragon, then where's..._

A quiet growl to my left told me everything I needed to know. _Why is Saphira growling? I never did anything to anger her, so what's her problem?_ Remembering that I was a dragon, I realised that I couldn't approach people like I used to. _Not like I could approach anyone, anyways..._ A quick wave of nostalgia came over me as I remembered the day I moved into a new school a few years ago, my slightly sick sense of humour kicking in.

 _Who are you, and why do you seek to pursue us?_ I saw her muscles tense, almost as if she was ready to kill. _Ok, this just got a lot more dangerous._ I thought, noticing her sharp teeth and claws. _That's gonna hurt._

 _Leithaen. I do not seek to pursue you._

 _Then why are you here?_

 _Merely coincidence._

 _Then leave._

"Saphira, wait up. He might be useful - another dragon could make all the difference in our coming fights."

 _How do you know that he doesn't want us dead?_

"If he wanted us dead, we'd already be covered in our own blood."

 _I'm not that stro- I really need to remember that I'm a dragon now... This is going to take a lot of getting used to._ I struggled to keep my thoughts under control as I tried to concentrate on the task at hand.

 _True._ The growling ceased as Saphira edged forwards, curious. _I thought I was the only free dragon in Alagaesia - where did you come from?_

 _An egg._ I tried to be as humorous as I could, since I figured that if I could get Saphira to warm up to me, then maybe she might be able to convince Brom to let me tag along. After all, it wasn't like I had anywhere else to go.

I heard a snort come from the dragon as she revealed her sharp teeth in a toothy grin.

"Saphira, don't get too close. We still have no idea what he's doing here." Brom cautioned, staring disapprovingly at her.

"Speaking of which, are you in league with the Varden by any chance?"

"Varden?" Eragon quickly butted in, his usual curious self.

"Another story for another time."

"Why do you always keep things from me?" The young teenager proceeded to walk away, huffing in protest.

 _I am not of the Varden, but I wish to be - I despise Galbatorix as much as you._

"Wait, Brom. Does this mean that he can tag along? Another dragon would be appreciated in a situation like this." Quickly turning around, Eragon suggested what was on my mind for a while. _Good, at least Eragon likes me._

"No."

 _Yes. He, for all I know, is the last free dragon in all of Alagaesia, excluding me. I'm not just going to let him fall into the clutches of Galbatorix._ I smiled in appreciation X of Saphira, who also seemed to want me around.

"What if he's already in his clutches?"

 _What else would he want from us, then? He already knows where we are, and he could've killed us all ages ago._

"Fine. He can come. But keep a very, very close eye on him." Glancing suspiciously at me, Brom strode off.

"Breakfast. Oh, and I'm Eragon. My dragon is called Saphira, and the old grouch there is Brom. Nice to meet you." Eragon quickly announced the morning meal and exchanged names as he went to sit with Brom, who was slightly unhappy with the current arrangements. I nodded my head before a thought popped into my mind.

 _Oh, crap. Does this mean I have to hunt?_ A now slightly familiar voice rang in my head, confirming the inevitable.

 _Hey, Leithaen. You going to hunt? You can come with me if you're hungry._

 _Sure, I guess…_ I replied, after some slight strain. _I could get used to this._ Moving over to Saphira, I looked on as she took off, circling overhead.

 _Well? You going to come up? Or do I have to carry you?_

 _Eh, I think I can fly._ I tried to respond as casually as possible, but with the growing sense of impending doom and the distraction of converting to pure mental conversation, it was hard to keep negativity from seeping into my voice.

Gulping, I decided to try. Being carried was not an option – refusing to fly out of my lack of experience was not an option, either.

Tensing and building up my muscle, I experimentally flapped my wings. To my surprise, it was actually easier than I thought. Building up for the take-off a bit more, I finally pushed myself off the ground with as much force as I could muster after last night, and strained my wings as hard as I could.

 _No way. This is too good to be- Shiii..._

I jumped, but couldn't keep the ground away from me. Unfortunately. Spitting dirt out of my mouth, Saphira landed beside me.

 _You don't know how to fly? What kind of a dragon are you?_

I left her question to hang, smiling inwardly as the joke sank in. I mean, I was human only last night. _Give me a break, seriously._

Trying again, I strained harder to keep myself hovering above the ground. Surprisingly, I stayed in the air, and I almost had to keep myself from going too high. Moving over to where Saphira was, I motioned for her to start moving.

 _Shall we?_

With a quick burst from my wings, I was off. Trying to rely on what I thought was dragon instinct; I flew off into the distance, Saphira quickly following in my wake.

 _I can fly! This is amazing! This totally beats whatever I did in my other life! Screw video games – this is the real thing!_

 _Other life?_ Instant apprehension and curiosity from Saphira reminded me to promptly stop acknowledging that I actually _had_ a previous life. Quickly brushing the question off, I continued to savor the excitement of the moment.

Almost too enveloped in my own joy to notice, I glimpsed a flock of deer nearby, minding their own business.

 _We got something!_ In what seemed to be a dive, I tried to lift up my wings to land. _You gotta be kidding m-_ Slamming into the ground at almost full force, I momentarily blacked out, before getting back up, embarrassed.

 _So, you haven't done this before. You scared the deer – we have to look for more…_

A snort behind me only added to the shame as Saphira effortlessly landed beside me. Getting up, I tried to be optimistic, despite the numerous amounts of bruises left from yesterday, as well as now.

 _We can still catch them…_

Bounding off, I flew in search of the deer – which were fleeing in different directions. _Oh well. Life can't always be convenient._ Going for the nearest one, I once again swooped down. This time, I went slower, to ensure that I didn't fail and humiliate myself like last time. My new claws ready to kill, I silently landed, my claws effortlessly slicing the poor beast into oblivion.

 _Poor thing. Is this what dragons do every day? I know humans do this indirectly, but still… To make matters worse, I have to eat this raw. Ugh. Also, there's blood everywhere. This is amazing._

Saphira landing beside me with a grin, she looked at me with slightly more respect than before – to my pleasure.

 _For a first-timer, you're good._

 _Thanks._

Another snort came from Saphira as she looked at the carcass hungrily.

 _You want some?_ Slicing the carcass neatly in two, I nudged one half in Saphira's direction, offering it.

 _Thank you._

 _You know, I could get used to this mental speaking thing someday._ _But probably not this – I don't care that dragon instinct me would enjoy this. Well, you gotta do what you gotta do._ Taking a deep breath, I ripped a slice of the carcass off and took a bite – bones and all. I hate to say this, but it was actually nice. Sort of. The meat was like the kind you get in sushi – so I guess it wasn't too bad. The bones, contrary to my original belief, were actually quite soft when put against my new dragon teeth, to my surprise. Overall, not what I had expected – for a second, I actually though I could get used to this – the gore, the killing, the life of a dragon.

 _That was nice enough – it's not like I'll get too much better, with what adventures lay ahead._ Finishing off the rest of the corpse, save the feet (which were too hard for me to eat, currently), I looked at Saphira, who's bloodstained scales made her look like a vicious killer. _Not like she isn't one, anyways. Suits her._

 _You know, I'm not the only one covered in blood. Get used to it._

 _You don't seem to be too bothered by my presence, despite you knowing nothing about me - unlike Brom and Eragon, who don't really trust me. Can't blame them, obviously, but…_

 _I thought I was the only free dragon in all of Alagaesia – until you showed up out of nowhere. That thought alone comforts me – defeating Galbatorix will be all the easier because of you. I, personally, do not believe you are a slave of Galbatorix – you would be larger, stronger and more intelligent than nature would have it, since he would be bound to cast enchantments like that on you. You would also have learned to fly._

Saphira smiling at the comforting thought, we flew to a nearby river, where we washed off most of the blood – looking at myself in the reflection of the river, I was, as she said, just as bad as her, I realized. Halfway through the small break, Saphira started looking at me weirdly.

 _Do you mind?_

Blinking, Saphira looked away.

It was silence until I heard a mental call from Eragon.

 _Hey, are you two done yet? We're going soon._

Seeing Saphira briefly pause, presumably to respond to Eragon's mental call, I got out of the river and shook off all the water, leaving most of my scales to dry in the sun. Following suit, Saphira got out and began to look at me strangely again. I let her, since she seemed to enjoy it, strangely. _Could it be... No, it's too early to tell._ Deciding to test my new theory, I tested her emotions.

 _Catch me if you can!_

Playfully pushing her again in the air, her flight course slightly deteriorated before she went back to her original position. Nudging me back with a push of her tail, she quickly dived and spread out her wings at the last moment – halting her sudden descent that would otherwise have her crashing into the nearest tree. A classic stunt.

Not bothering to replicate her spectacular feat of agility, I slowly curved downwards until I was beside her, as usual.

 _Someone too scared to fall?_

 _Stop it._ Slightly blushing out of embarrassment, I tried to avoid the subject, much to her pleasure.

 _Camp ahead. I'll slow down – just for you, youngling._

 _I'm pretty sure I'm older than you._

 _How old are you?_

 _Older than you, probably._ Trying to keep the answers as open-ended as possible, I tried to gracefully land as slowly as I could. I tried to halt the ground that was quickly coming up to meet me by a quick spreading of my wings – to my surprise, my 'skill' caused me to slow down at the last moment, allowing me to land. While it wasn't as graceful as Saphira, who promptly landed beside me without a sound, it was certainly passable.

 _Quite an entrance. What'd you catch?_ Eragon, happy as usual to see Saphira, began questioning the two of us mentally.

 _A deer._ I quickly responded, hoping that Saphira wouldn't mention the details.

 _Also, Eragon, apparently Leithaen hasn't flown before. And also hasn't eaten a deer before, nor seen the bloodbath that ensues._

 _Thanks for adding all of that detail._ I replied sarcastically, seeing Saphira rolling her eyes.

 _Oh really now?_ Brom, overhearing the mental conversation, decided to butt in after hearing Saphira's rants.

 _Wouldn't you have had to do those things to survive on your own? We found you in the middle of nowhere, with not as much as a Rider to take care of you – yet you have no survival skills. How so?_

Uncomfortably pushed into a corner, I tried to keep him away from the subject before the others caught on.

 _Oh really now? No survival skills, you say? Who caught the deer, again?_ Trying to contest Brom's idea, I figured that this would be the best, and the most ideal outcome for the conversation.

 _You, but who scared the flock off in the first place?_ Saphira continued to helpfully add to the conversation.

 _Let's just say I didn't have the best time of my life last night._

 _Mhm, sure…_ A comment later, and she had somehow put me in an even worse position than before.

 _I thought you were on my side._ All I got in response was a curious, inquisitive look from her.

"Well, that was interesting. I'll be sure to question Leithaen later – I am curious. However, the day will not wait. Let us make haste!" Cutting off the small, but eventful conversation, Brom began to pack up camp.

Turning to face me, he spoke. "If you try to even touch either of my company, I will have you dead within the minute."

 _Wow, thanks for the warm reception._

Quickly putting out the fire, Brom, with some help from Eragon, quickly began to dismantle the camp. After a few minutes, all that was left were a few scorch marks from the fire on the surrounding grass.

"Today we ride into Yazuac."

A sudden flare of recognition came into my mind as I looked at the now-doomed man. _I can't let them go in!_ As much as the old Rider distrusted me, it wasn't in my nature to let someone die.

 _I have my doubts._

"Why so?"

 _This will not end well – Yazuac is not a place to be trusted._ Trying to justify my sudden 'doubts', I knew that he wouldn't trust me – after all, who would?

"And why should I believe you?"

 _Your head will be on this foolish quest._

"No it won't – my years of training will see to that." A brief reply ended the premonition. Seeing at least a worried expression from Eragon, I knew that my efforts were not at least in complete vain.

* * *

"Saphira, why are you acting so strange? You know he can't be trusted – not yet, anyways. Although he interests me."

 _For some reason, he makes me feel... slightly different. More complete. I do not know what it is._

"Don't you have me already?"

 _This is different. While I do treasure you as my Rider and absolute friend, Leithaen is different. He is one of my kind – the same kind that was thought to be extinct for centuries, with the exception of me and the eggs and dragon under the influence of Galbatorix._

"Still know that I will always be there for you when you need me, Saphira."

 _I know. I just need some time to think._

* * *

The day was mostly uneventful, apart from some complaining from Eragon about the lack of full water skins, and other minor uncomfortable hindrances.

"The Ninor River." Brom pointed out, looking around for anything that we could use as shelter or as something to keep us from sight, even in the barren plain.

 _I see a bend in the river that Saphira and I could hide in – it doesn't look too far, and looks to be suitable for our needs._ Figuring that it would be better that I pointed out the ideal location, I looked at Saphira questioningly. I really wanted to just rush in at that point and kill the Urgals straight away, but I still didn't want to destroy the whole plotline. Yet.

 _Very well – not like I can desert you, anyways._

"Well, that's sorted. Eragon and I will have a look around and see how we can approach the city."

"Finally, some food and water!" Happily commenting, fresh blood spurted out of his already dry lips as Eragon spoke.

 _I still have a bad feeling about this…_

"I will only trust you once you have earned it – not before." Brom quickly putting an end to my objections, we continued on until we were nearly at the city.

 _Well, have fun._ Grimly tearing away from the two vulnerable humans, I slowly set off for the curve in the river. _Be careful. Very, very careful._ A raised eyebrow and a skeptical expression was the only reply from the two as I looked back for the last time.

 _Stay safe._ Hearing Saphira's farewell, I waited for her to catch up, before waiting, tense at the knowledge of what was to come.

 _Leithaen. You seem very tense and wary – like something will go wrong. What is it?_

 _Nothing – just I do not think that the city will be safe for those two._

 _If you are like this every time we leave them, then you'll never sleep easy._

 _I won't, just that this specific one looks suspicious._

 _Whatever you say, Leithaen._ Quickly brushing her snout against my neck, she tried to keep me calm with the comfort of her warmth and presence.

Readying myself, I waited for the mental call from Eragon.

 _Saphira! Leithaen! Help!_

Taking off as soon as I heard the call, I flew as quickly as I could. Hopefully I could stop this from going the way the books had it.

 _I'm coming!_

* * *

 **A/N: So, part 2 of the series! As always, review and leave encouragement and/or improvements if you like the story so far! Please tell me how I did with all the characters, especially if they are OOC in any way. Also, I will be on holidays for the next week and a half - expect the next chapter to be delayed for a while. However, I do still intend to continue this series. Please continue to review - they, along with the 43 views I've gotten so far, are what motivate me to continue writing. Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter!**


	3. Yazuac

**A/N: So, chapter 3. I know I'm meant to be on holiday, but I had a 9 hour plane trip - what else could I do? A lot of support suddenly came in overnight after I posted Chapter 2 - the views went from 43 to 106 in 8 hours! Let me know if I should be using third person instead of first, switching in between the two dragons in your review if possible - I still lack writing experience, so any advice would be much appreciated. Also, if you haven't already, check out the sister story to this one - Reborn: From the Rush of the Wind by Screamstriker, who is also my beta! Link is in the first chapter. Thank you, the reader for all your support and for reading - apart from that, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _Brom!_

I saw a desolated town, devoid of life. Yazuac. The houses were all deserted - there seemed to be no sign of life anywhere. I jerked my head away as the stench of rotting bodies wafted to the air above. _So, they are all dead. Just like the book portrayed._ There, in the middle of the city, was the town's population. All dead, covered in blood and heartlessly dumped into a single pile. And to top it all off, a bloodied, gore-splattered spear impaling an innocent baby at the top of the pile. _Why... I thought the description in the book was bad - witnessing it first-hand is just..._ Resisting the urge to look away or throw up, I searched for Brom, knowing that he would be in the most danger.

I found the old Rider bent-over in his horse, blood streaming from his arm. An Urgal stood beside him, clad in a small breastplate, iron cap and armed with a double-handed axe. Despite my lack of flying experience, I still tried to dive down to meet the Urgal at a breakneck pace, not caring for the risks or potential injury.

Roaring as loud as I could, I saw the Urgal spin around to quickly meet the new threat.

 _Damn you if you think you'll get away with this!_

My claws were at the ready, aimed towards the Urgal's stomach. I slowly curved downwards until I was level with the vicious killer. As I flew, deafening wind howled past me. I felt like my ears were going to bleed, but I grit my teeth and continued forwards.

Outstretching both my claws, I braced myself for the jarring impact.

Slamming into the Urgal, my fore claws did its work as they both plunged deep into its stomach. A blood-curdling cry rang out across the town. I tried to slow down and land, bringing the still-screaming, half-dead body in front of me to use as a shock absorber, while viscous blood poured everywhere all the while.

I quickly fell over as the sheer speed of the landing mercilessly threw me forward towards the floor. I pulled my claws forward to try to use the ground to pull me to a stop in an attempt to adjust to the new forces at work. That is, until I realised the body was still impaled on them, torn guts, half-digested food and shards of armour being torn from the tortured corpse. It promptly ripped into two, spilling even more blood than I thought humanely, no, Urgal-ly possible everywhere.

I tried to regain my balance as the two rough halves, which fell off my claws, tried to trip me over. There was no time to react. New spurts of pain rushed through my body as I felt it lurch forward, finally making contact with the ground. Out of control, I could only sit there, helpless, as I flipped over. I heard a ripping noise as I felt one of the membranes on my wing tear, roaring in pain as my vision briefly blurred.

 _Augh... is it over?_

Finally screeching to a halt, I felt my body shudder. _Please tell me I didn't break... oh crap._ I knew that I wouldn't be flying for a while yet, seeingdragon blood generously coated all over my right wing and part of my right flank.

 _Brom! Are you alright? Eragon?_

Time seemed to slow as I lied there, blood loss starting to take its toll. I felt too weak to move, the transformation and impact too much for me to take. Hearing a cry of "Brisingr!" coming from somewhere, I breathed a sigh of relief as I knew that we were safe. A dull aching pain vibrated through my claws. Apart from that, however, I was left untouched, save the large tear in my wing and small dents in my scales where shards of the Urgal's metal armour had brushed past.

 _Saphira! Tend to Brom and Eragon - they are both in a more dire state than me._

 _Leithaen!_

Landing beside me, I managed to turn my neck towards her with relative ease as her cool, sapphire eyes blazed with fury at the dead Urgals, seeing my slightly torn wing.

 _I can't leave you like this! What happened?_ She began to roar out of anger, looking for the attacker.

 _I tackled the Urgal that was attacking Brom._

Ceasing her roaring, Saphira cast a concerned look at me.

 _Tend to the others... I can take care of myself - I'm one of the last surviving dragons, remember?_

A short silence passed, before she quietly left, a quick glance back all I remembered as I closed my eyes, waiting for the agonising pain to stop.

* * *

 _I have to take care of the others._

Seeing Eragon, I quickly called out to the furry two-legs.

 _Eragon! Who did this? I will kill them all, I swear it!_

"Relax. They're dead."

 _You killed them all?_

"I killed one - I think there was one other one... nevermind. He's definitely dead." Looking at the pieces of dead Urgal, blood and guts everywhere, Eragon threw up for the second time that day.

"Is Brom... BROM!"

Suddenly remembering about the old mentor, Eragon quickly rushed over to Brom, who was still unconscious.

"Brom!" Noticing the cut on Brom's arm, I looked on as I saw my Rider neatly roll up his sleeve and clean his wound, a worried expression on his face.

 _The old one is strong. Do not fear._

I tried to soothe him as he nurtured Brom, returning his sword and whatnot, before turning to me, muttering complaints about his lack of knowledge of plants in the area.

 _We should leave. There may be more Urgals around - but with Leithaen's injured wing, I don't think we can._

"He might not be able to fly, which means we might to stay here for the night, at least until he heals." Both my rider and I shuddered at having to spend the night in a forsaken town, with a pile of rotting flesh sitting in the middle. Ugh.

My attention was diverted as I heard Brom stir.

"Are you alright?" Eragon quickly asked.

"Should be."

 _We might not be able to leave - Leithaen injured his wing saving you._ I gestured with my snout at the old storyteller.

"Ask him if he can fly."

 _Very well._ Quickly bounding over to Leithaen's side, I nudged him as he began to stir once again.

* * *

 _If I keep this up, I'll be dead by the end of the week._ Getting up, I felt slightly less pained as I tried to rise on all fours.

 _Lie down._

Obediently listening, the pain quickly relieved itself as I got back down.

 _You injured your wing - are you alright?_

 _I feel like someone crushed me into a thousand pieces, put them in a blender and then tried to reassemble me back together with all the skill of an employee from IKEA._

 _Blender? IKEA?_ I could feel curiosity seeping into her voice as I spoke, looking at me intently. _I really need to remember to stop letting these small things slip..._ I thought as I replied, my fatigue starting to wear off as the pain quickly washed away my drowsiness.

 _In other words, I feel terrible. I should be fine, though._

 _Can you fly? We plan to get away from here as soon as possible._

 _No idea._ Looking at my right wing, I could see the damage - a large tear in my wing, covered in now-dry blood. _Do you think Brom... No, he's too injured..._ Looking at Eragon tending to the old Rider, I could see that he was half-awake, and very weak. Obviously not an option to ask him to heal me.

 _I have to try - it'll be slow, but I don't plan on spending the night in this hell-hole._

 _I will inform the others of your decision._

 _No, it's fine... I'll do it._ Getting up to move towards the two humans, I was quickly blocked off by Saphira, who insisted that I stay down for now in an almost... motherly tone. Like she really cared for me...

 _Let me._

 _Very well, whatever keeps you happy for now._ She smiled as she moved towards the others, relaying the message.

I got up and painfully approached the others once Brom looked to have been tended to, much to the displeasure of Saphira.

 _I told you to lie down!_ She tried to lecture me as her annoyed look stared me down.

 _Stop fussing over me like a mother he... Dragon. I'm meant to be the strong one._

 _Very well._ I could feel her emotions over the small chat through the connection - mainly amusement and comfort, which quickly turned to concern once she turned to Brom and cut it off.

"Leithaen. We will talk later, but for now, can you fly?" Quickly conferring with the others, he looked at me questioningly.

 _I should be able to, if I try. Maybe not very fast, but I refuse to be a complete deadweight._

"Very well." With some help from Saphira and Eragon, Brom quickly got on Saphira as Eragon mounted Cadoc, Snowfire tied to a rope behind him.

 _Let's go! T_ rying to forget about what would happen in the near future, I attempted to bring as much optimism to the situation as possible. _Hopefully Brom doesn't... I shouldn't think about it._

 _Focus on the task ahead, Eth- Leithaen._ I continued to try to tell myself, in an attempt to try to not focus on Brom's imminent death. I began to flap my wings back and forth, testing and warming them up in order to keep my mind off it. A small, aching pain rose every time wind went through the cut - the dried blood did, however, help a lot, acting as a small barrier sheltering the vulnerable flesh underneath.

 _The pain seems tolerable enough - I should be able to fly._

 _Good._ The others, along with Saphira, also voiced their approval.

Building up for the take-off, my right wing started to ache slightly, a few pieces of old, dried blood cracking off. _Oh well._ I pushed myself off the ground, straining as hard as I could to gain altitude. At first, my wings were slightly unresponsive due to my lack of energy. However, they worked in the end. Flying off, I slowly followed Saphira, who I noticed waited for me to rise up to her, hovering in the air.

 _You alright?_

 _I'm fine - you need not worry. Thank god I can fly, or we would have to spend the night in Yazuac._

A slow humming emanated from the blue dragon as we flew. I looked down at Brom and Eragon out of boredom, who seemed to be in a heated discussion, probably about either Eragon's 'misuse' of magic or me. Leaving them to it, I concentrated on flying as the day wore on.

 _Hey, would you two mind finding a place for us to rest tonight?_

The silence was broken by a mental call from Eragon, who was following the Ninor River while Saphira and I looked around together. Finally, we found a clearing, which in the air was easy to locate, but looked to be well concealed otherwise, sheltered by trees and buses beside the river.

 _Found something!_ I called down to the two as Saphira sent a mental image of the place. Looking at the two from above, I saw the horses abruptly change course as they headed for the clearing.

Slowing down as I landed, my body shook with pain as I resisted the urge to double over, lying on the grassy ground.

 _I'm fine._ Already knowing by now that Saphira was going to tend to me, I tried to establish my independence and prematurely prevent the message.

 _Sure._ A humorous and sarcastic comment later, Saphira was beside me, quietly landing as usual.

 _You sure you don't need help?_

 _I'll go wash the blood off in the river - apart from that, I should be fine. After seeing the pile of bodies, I lost my appetite for the day._ I tried to send her a mental image of the pile of bodies, out of mostly pure boredom and her new nature. After all, she couldn't have all the fun, could she?

Saphira winced and slowly growled in annoyance. _Well, that worked._ Grinning and trying to make it seem as legitimate as possible, I looked at her before I made my way over to the river, where I immersed myself in it's cool waters, quickly diluting the flow with my blood. I waited for the cut to be fully cleaned by the current, before finally getting out and making my way to the camp, where I found Brom and Eragon in another heated discussion, along with Saphira minding her own business, perking at the sound of me entering the camp.

"...hurts terribly, but should heal quickly enough. I need a new bandage - this one didn't last as long as I'd hoped."

Walking into the camp, I heard part of Brom's conversation as I came in. Saphira hummed in contentment as I made my way over and placed my non-injured wing over her, providing my warmth to help protect against the cold winds. I could feel her body loosen up as I lied down beside her.

 _Thank you._ She quickly muzzled me with her snout, then settled down.

"I'm sure we have a lot to talk about - especially you. But I'm sure we are all hungry, so let us eat. Then we can talk." Brom tensely said, looking slightly suspiciously at me. I tried to keep an innocent, unknowing face as he stared me down. Looking away to prepare dinner, he gave Eragon a wooden bowl with what looked to be warm soup inside, and ate. He also boiled water and rags to use as bandages.

For a while, Brom discussed Eragon's use of magic back at Yazuac while Saphira and I listened. Thanks to my extensive reading of the Inheritance Cycle, I had already heard (or rather, read) it all before, and thus fiddled with a blade of grass like I did back in school - before Alagaesia, before I was turned into a dragon. _So much has changed since then..._ I continued to self-reflect until Brom addressed me.

"Now, we come to the subject of you, Leithaen. I am most interested in you, particularly how you knew that Yazuac was dangerous." Brom said, glancing at his wound, before looking up to meet me.

"Firstly, how did you come to be? Where did you live? You look to be a year old - how could you have, by yourself, remained undetected for that long? And how come you did not know how to fly or hunt when we found you? As I mentioned before, you would have needed those skills in order to survive, surely?"

All eyes were on me, scrutinising my every move as I nervously gulped. _I still can't tell them. Not yet. I have to try to stay firm._

 _I refuse to disclose that information._ I tried to say with as much confidence and assurance as possible.

"I am sorry if I am intrusive, but you are special - I do not believe that Alagaesia has ever been blessed enough to be graced by such a powerful being as you. I do not believe you are under the influence of Galbatorix - you do not speak like you are one of his servants, and you would not have told us about the perils of Yazuac if you wanted us dead. However, you could be something else altogether. How did you know?"

Smiling at the compliment, I continued to hold firm. _It was just a suspicion. I don't encounter towns often, and when I do, it never bodes well._ Hopefully he bought it.

"Biggest lie I've heard since Galbatorix came to rule." _Well, it was worth a try, anyways._

An eery silence then followed, Brom and I eyeing each other, while Eragon and Saphira curiously spectated.

"You really are something. Firstly, you show up out of nowhere, with no idea how to fly or hunt. No-one seems to have heard word about you, despite you being one of the only dragons in existence. Yet you seem to be able to both evade attention and predict the future. You are very, very important, let me tell you that. A dragon, by itself, is already a very powerful creature. A dragon that can see the future, however, is something unheard of throughout all of Alagaesia. Be careful of who you ally with, and who you make your enemy - your decisions could change the future of the world. Heed these words - they are the truest I have ever spoken."

And on that note, the camp was once again plunged into silence as we slept, night taking over the land once again.

* * *

 **A/N: Enjoy what you've read so far? If you liked it, be sure to review and favourite - they, along with all the views, are what keep me motivated to writing this story. Thanks for reading, and see you in the next chapter!**


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